Leadership and the high reliability transformation: a qualitative study at Truman VA medical center.
Leonard C, Gilmartin HM, Starr LM, et al. Leadership and the high reliability transformation: a qualitative study at Truman VA medical center. J Healthc Risk Manag. 2024;44(1):17-23. doi:10.1002/jhrm.21580.
Like many health care organizations, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is working towards becoming a high-reliability organization (HRO). In this qualitative study, researchers interviewed 14 current and past leaders involved in HRO transformation at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital. Leaders identified three key strategies for achieving high reliability: (1) consistent communication from leadership and modeling of HRO principles, (2) empowering frontline staff to make changes and fail, and (3) hiring and training team members in alignment with organizational culture and HRO values.